SOUTH AFRICA’S LOW-EMISSION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2050

The South Africa’s Low-Emission Development Strategy (SA LEDS) 2050 is a strategic framework designed to transition South Africa to a low-carbon growth path by 2050. It aligns national policies with the Paris Agreement and the country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), focusing on a 'peak, plateau and decline' emissions trajectory. The strategy outlines sectoral measures for energy, industry, agriculture, forestry, and waste, while emphasizing a 'Just Transition' to ensure socio-economic upliftment and job security during the shift away from fossil fuels.

• South Africa's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased by approximately 19% between 2000 and 2012, rising from 434 Mt CO2e to 518 Mt CO2e. The energy sector is the primary contributor, accounting for 68% of total emissions in 2012, followed by industry (13%), transport (9%), agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) (6%), and waste (4%).
• The national emissions objective follows a 'peak, plateau and decline' (PPD) trajectory. GHG emissions are projected to peak between 2020 and 2025, plateau between 2026 and 2035, and decline from 2036 onwards.
• The energy sector's transition involves diversifying the electricity mix through the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPP). Specific targets include implementing 2,500 MW of hydro by 2030 and adding 1,000 MW of PV and 1,600 MW of wind annually until 2030.
• To reduce energy demand emissions, the government is implementing the Post-2015 National Energy Efficiency Strategy (NEES) and a Solar Water Heater (SWH) programme aiming for 5 million installations by 2030. Other measures include tightening building standards and introducing energy efficiency labels for domestic appliances.
• The transport sector's low-carbon strategy, guided by the Green Transport Strategy (2018–2050), aims for at least a 5% reduction in GHG emissions. Key interventions include incentivizing electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, expanding EV charging stations by 40 per annum, and shifting freight from road back to rail.
• Industrial emissions are addressed through the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and the Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) programme. The IEE programme's second phase (2016–2019) has contributed to 2,140 GWh in cumulative energy savings and 2 Mt CO2e in avoided GHG emissions.
• In the AFOLU sector, emissions are primarily driven by enteric fermentation (42%) and nitrous oxide from cultivated soils (28%). Mitigation measures include promoting conservation agriculture—which can reduce diesel consumption by approximately 50%—and a goal to afforest 100,000 hectares in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
• The waste sector experienced the highest growth in emissions (78% between 2000 and 2012), with landfill methane accounting for 84% of the sector's total. The strategy prioritizes the waste management hierarchy: avoidance, reduction, re-use, recycling, recovery, and disposal.
• South Africa is implementing a 'polluter pays' carbon tax, with a rate set at R120 per tonne of CO2e. A basic threshold of 60% applies, below which the tax is not payable, to allow businesses time to transition.
• The 'Just Transition' framework aims to prevent net job losses during the shift to a low-carbon economy. This is managed through the National Employment Vulnerability Assessment (NEVA) and Sector Job Resilient Plans (SJRPs), which identify employment risks in energy-intensive industries.
• Climate finance needs for 2020–2050 are estimated at US$ 0.2 billion to US$ 50.0 billion for adaptation (median US$ 50 billion) and approximately US$ 1,353 billion for mitigation.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). SOUTH AFRICA’S LOW-EMISSION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2050. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/South-Africas-Low-Emission-Development-Strategy-2050.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. SOUTH AFRICA’S LOW-EMISSION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2050. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/South-Africas-Low-Emission-Development-Strategy-2050.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=SOUTH AFRICA’S LOW-EMISSION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2050 |date=December 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/South-Africas-Low-Emission-Development-Strategy-2050.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2018south, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{SOUTH AFRICA’S LOW-EMISSION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2050}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = dec, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/South-Africas-Low-Emission-Development-Strategy-2050.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }